Monkey on trial, elephant versus python and the hypnotised hens heist
ELEPHANT VS. PYTHON
A jungle tug-of-war between a giant python snake and a calf elephant drew villagers from miles around to a clearing in the Namchik forest reserve near Calcutta yesterday.
The python seized the elephant by a hind leg and, then "moored" itself to a tree with its tail. They see-sawed around the clearing for hours, smashing the undergrowth flat as the elephant tried vainly to free its leg.
Eventually the python "swallowed" the whole of the elephant's leg. Then came deadlock. The elephant could not move and the reptile could not swallow any more. Villagers killed the python with swords and freed the elephant.
October 28th, 1952
SHOW MUST GO ON
World snake-pit sit-in champion Jack Seale climbed back down among the serpents yesterday although suffering from vision and balance troubles following a cobra bite.
Mr Seale who was taken to hospital after being bitten by two puff adders and the cobra, is determined to stay in the pit just outside Pretoria until next Sunday. With him are 15 of Africa's deadliest snakes. He has already upset his previous world record of 16 days, but intends to break the 30-day barrier.
January 7th, 1969
MONKEY ON TRIAL
A bewildered itinerant showman, and Italian, named Angelini Jennit, was charged before the "Custody Court", Belfast, with having arms in a proclaimed district. The poor fellow owned a monkey, and lived by the monkey's tricks.
He had taught Prof Darwin's progenitor to fire off a toy pistol, and for this his master was seized, and charged with having arms in a proclaimed district! Seeing that the monkey - not the man - had the pistol, the monkey should have been in the dock - not the man.
We suppose the magistrates felt a difficulty about committing a monkey to prison. The question would arise, too, whether the monkey was a rational being, and accountable according to law. The magistrates came to what we think was a hasty decision. They ordered the "Italian, pistol and all", to leave the town in three days.
Could not the magistrates be tried for "giving arms to an unlicensed person in a proclaimed district?"
Here is plainly a case for the Castle Adviser, and material for a terrible bill of costs.
October 6th, 1873
HENS WERE HYPNOTISED
Complaining at Tipperary Court that her next door neighbour, Martin Quish, a middle-aged labourer, had "hypnotised" her hens with semolina and bread crumbs, and so induced them to leave her yard and go to his place, Mrs Annie O'Shea, of Shronell, told District Justice E O'Riain that Quish had set traps for the hens, and on another occasion had threatened to burn her house.
Quish denied that he ever set traps for her hens, but had set traps for rats, and had caught two rats and a jackdaw.
He was bound over for six months and ordered to pay £2 3s. costs, and expenses.
August 3rd, 1950
A DEDICATED SHEPHERD
A shepherd gave his life for a ewe when he defended it against a ravenous wolf on a snow-covered mountain in Portugal, writes Reuters Lisbon correspondent.
The wolf had attacked the sheep, and the shepherd, 55-year-old Augusto Beltrao, was trying to ward it off with his knife when it turned on him and killed him.
November 14th, 1934